//- 


CORRESPONDENCE 


BKTWEI5N    Till 


tf[ommififjionenj  of  the  ^t\U  of  ^o.  Oliu 


(iOVKUXMKXT   AT  \VASI11X(;T()X 


THK  IMIKSIDENT  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES; 


TOiSKTIfKR    WtTM    THK 


STATEMENT  OF  MESSRS.  MILES  AND  KEITT. 


PRINTKI>    IIY    onHKR    <»K    THE    «ON VKNTION. 


r  II   \  |{  \,  HSTOX: 

KVANM    k    COOrtWKM.,    rRINTERJ*    TO    THK    rOX VKNTIOJI, 
No.  ;;  Ilriiwl  und  m.T  F4»»t  Bay  Ctiw-t. 


:2^ 


TREASimi  ^CX)M 


George  JVashitigton  Flowers 
Memorial  Collection 

DUKF.  UNIVF.RSITY  I.IHRARV 


ESTABLISHF.D  BV  THE 

rAMII.V  or 

COLONEL  K LOWERS 


^ 


C0RRESP0NT3ENCE 


BETWEEN   THE 


OtommiTifiiontrf)  nf  the  ^tak  4  ^o.  Ola. 


GOVERNMENT  AT  AVASIIINGTON 


THE  PRESIDENT  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES; 


TOGETUEU    WITH    THE 


STATEMENT  OF  MESSRS.  MILES  AND  KEITT. 


riUNTED    BY   ORDER   OF   THE   CONVENTION. 


(']1  .\  JILKSTON: 

KVANH    k    COGSWELL,    PRINTERS    TO    THE    CONVENTION, 
No.  3  BniaJ  antl  103  Ea«t  Bay  i^trcit. 

1861. 


•    #) 


[lkttkr  ok  thk  commissioners  to  the  puesidicnt.] 


Washington,  28tli  December,  1860. 

Sir:  We  have  the  honor  to  transmit  to  you  a  copy  of 
tlie  full  powers  from  the  Convention  of  the  People  of  South 
Carolina,  under  which  wc  are  "authorized  and  empowered 
to  treat  with  the  Government  of  the  United  States  for  tlu- 
delivery  of  the  forts,  magazines,  light  houses  and  other 
real  estate,  with  their  ap]turtenances,  within  the  limits  of 
South  Carolina,  and  also  for  an  apportionment  of  the  pub- 
lic debt  and  for  a  division  of  all  other  property-  lield  hy  the 
Government  of  the  United  States  as  agent  of  the  confed- 
erated States,  of  which  South  Carolina  was  recently  a 
member;  and  generally  to  negotiate  as  to  all  other  meas- 
ures and  arrangements  proper  to  be  made  and  adopted  in 
the  existing  relation  of  the  parties,  and  for  the  continuance 
of  peace  and  amity  between  this  connnonwealth  and  the 
Government  at  Washington." 

In  the  execution  of  this  trust,  it  is  our  duty  to  furnish 
you,  a.s  Ave  now^  do,  with  an  official  copy  of  the  Ordinance 
of  Secession,  by  which  the  State  of  South  Carolina  has 
resumed  the  powers  she  delegated  to  tlie  Governmei\t/of 
the  United  States  and  has  declared  her  perfect  sovereignty 
and  independence. 

It  woidd  also  have  been  our  duty  to  have  ijijfoniied  ^yon 
that  we  were  ready  to  negotiate  with  you  upon  all  such 
questions  a,s  are  necessarily  raised  by  the  adoption  of  tlii'^ 
"rdinance,  and  that  we  were  jirepared  to  enter  upon  ihi- 
negotiatifMi  with  the  earnest  desire  to  avoid  all  unnecessary 
and  hostile  collision,  and  so  to  inaugurate  our  new  relations 
as  to  secure  mutual  respect,  general  advantage  and  a  futun 
■f  good  will  and  harmony  beneficial  to  all  the  parties 
•  oncerned. 


Hut  tlio  events  of  the  la^i  twenty-four  liours  render  sueh 
im  assurance  impossible.  We  came  liere  tlie  representa- 
tivcH  of  an  authority  wliich  could,  at  any  time  within  tlie 
|»ju<t  sixty  ihiys.  have  taken  possession  of  tlie  forts  in  Char- 
lest<»n  harlmr.  htjt  which,  upon  pledges  a^iven  in  a  manner 
that,  we  cannot  doubt,  determined  to  trust  to  your  honor 
rather  than  to  its  own  power.  Since  our  arrival  here  an 
nfticer  oi  the  United  States,  acting,  as  we  are  assured,  not 
only  without  but  against  your  orders,  has  dismantled  one 
fort  and  occupied  another,  thus  altering,  t<»  a  most  import- 
ant extent,  the  conditi«ui  of  allUirs  under  wlTu-h  we  came. 
I 'mil  these  circumstances  are  explained  in  a  manner 
which  relieves  us  of  all  doubt  as  to  the  spirit  in  which  these 
negotiaticjns  shall  be  conducted,  we  are  forced  to  suspend 
all  discussion  as  to  any  arrangements  by  which  our  mutual 
interests  might  be  amicably  adjusted. 

And,  in  conclusion,  we  would  urge  ujion  you  the  imme- 
diate withdrawal  of  the  troo}>s  from  the  harbor  of  Charles- 
ton. Under  present  circumstances,  they  are  a  standing 
njenace  which  renders  negotiation  impossible,  and,  as  our 
recent  experience  shews,  tlneatens  speedily  to  bring  to  a 
bloody  issue  questions  w  liieli  ought  to  be  settled  with  tcm- 
j't-rance  and  judgment. 

We  have  the  honor.  Sir,  to  be, 

\'ery  respectfully, 

Your  obedient  servants, 

]{.  W.  r.AKXWKLL. 
J.  11.  ADAMS. 
JAMES  L.  ORU, 

Cvmniissiontn's. 
^7\j'(h  l''liiiMm:NT 

of  the  United  Sluh's. 


[RF.rr,Y    OF    TUF,    PRKSIDKNT    TO    THE    COMMISSIOXKUS.] 

Wasiiincjton  C[ty,  30t.h  December,  1800. 

Gentlemen  :  I  liavc  the  lienor  to  receive  your  commnni- 
catioii  of  28th  inst.,  together  with  a  copy  of  your  "full 
powers  from  the  Convention  of  the  People  of  Honth  Caro- 
lina," authorising  you  to  treat  with  the  Government  of  the 
United  States  on  various  important  subjects  therein  men- 
tioned, and  also  a  copy  of  the  Ordinance  bearing  date  on 
the  20th  instant,  declaring  that  "the  Union  nowsubsisting 
between  South  Caroliiia  and  other  States  under  the  name 
of  'the  United  St.ites  of  America,'  is  hereby  dissolved." 

In  answer  to  this  communication,  I  have  to  say,  that  my 
position  as  President  of  the  United  States  was  clearly 
defined  in  the  message  to  Congress  of  the  3d  instant.  In 
that  t  stated  that,  "apart  from  the  execution  of  the  laws, 
so  far  as  this  may  l>e  practicable,  the  Executive  has  n<> 
authority  to  decide  what  shall  be  the  relations  between 
the  Federal  Government  and  South  Carolina.  He  has 
been  invested  with  no  such  discretion.  lie  possesses  no 
power  to  change  the  relations  heretofore  existing  between 
them,  much  less  to  acknowledge  the  independence  of  that 
State.  This  would  be  to  invest  a  mere  executive  officer 
with  the  power  of  recognizing  the  dissolution  of  the  Con- 
federacy among  our  thirty-three  sovereign  States.  It  bears 
no  resemblance  to  the  recognition  of  a  foreign  dr  facto 
government — involving  no  su<h  responsiVnlity.  Any  at- 
tempt to  do  this  would,  on  his  part,  be  a  naked  act  of 
tHurpation.  It  is,  therefore,  ni}-  duty  to  submit  to  Con- 
gress the  whole  rpiestion,  in  all  its  bearings." 

Such  is  my  opinion  still.  I  could,  therefore,  meet  you 
only  as  private  gentlemen  of  the  highest  character,  and 
was  entirely  willing  to  communicate  to  Congress  any  pro- 
position you  might  have  to  make  to  that  body  ni»oii  the 
subject.     Of  this  yt)u  were  well  aware.     It  was  my  earnest 


6 

desire,  that  such  n  dispotjitioii  might  be  made  of  the  whole 
!*abject  bv  Con^re«»,  who  alone  possess  the  power,  as  to 
prevent  the  inau^unition  <»f  a  civil  war  hctwot'ii  tin.-  parties 
in  regard  t<»  the  possession  of  tlic  Federal  Forts  in  the 
Itarhor  of  Charleston  :  and  T  therefore  deeply  rej^ret.  that, 
in  your  opinion,  "the  events  of  the  last  twenty-fonr  houi*s 
render  this  inipossihle."  In  conclusion,  yon  ur<;o  ujton  me 
••the  immediate  withdrawal  of  the  troops  from  the  harbor 
of  Charleston,"  statinc  that,  "under  present  circnmstanees, 
thev  are  a  standing  menace  which  renders  negotiation 
impossible,  and  as  our  recent  experience  shows,  threatens 
spee<lily  to  liring  to  a  bloody  issue,  (piestions  which  ouglit 
to  be  settled  with  tom]»cranco  and  judgment.'" 

The  reason  for  this  eliaiige  in  your  jtositioii  is,  that  since 
vour  arrival  in  Washington,  "an  olKcer  of  the  United 
States,  acting  as  we  (y<ui)  are  assured,  not  oidy  without,  but 
against  your  (niy)  orders,  has  dismantled  one  fort  and  occn- 
jiied  another,  thus  altering,  to  a  most  important  extent,  the 
t:ondition  of  affairs  under  which  we  (you)  came.'  You 
also  allege  that  you  eame  here  "  the  rei>resentatives  of  an 
authority  which  could,  at  any  time,  within  the  past  sixty 
days  have  taken  j^ossession  of  the  forts  in  Charleston  har- 
bor, but  wliieh,  upon  ])ledgcs  given  in  a  manner  that  we 
lyou)  cannot  doubt,  determined  to  trust  to  your  (my)  honor 
rather  than  to  its  own  jiower." 

This  brings  me  to  a  eonsideration  of  the  nature  of  those 
alleged  pledges,  and  in  what  manner  they  have  been  ob- 
served. In  my  message  of  tlie  third  of  December  last.  I 
stated,  in  regard  to  the  property  of  the  United  States  in 
South  Carolina,  that  it  "has  been  purchased  for  a  fair 
equivalent  "by  the  eons\.iit  of  the  Legislature  of  the  State,' 
•  for  the  ereetion  of  forts,  magazines,  arsenals,'  &c.,  and 
over  these  the  authority  '  to  exercise  exclusive  legislation* 
has  been  exjiressly  granted  by  the  Constitution  to  Congress. 
It  is  not  believed  that  any  attempt  will  be  made  to  expel 
the  United  States  from  this  prt>i>erty  by  force;  but  if  in 
this  I  should  prove  to  be  mistaken,  the  otHcer  in  command 
of  the  forts  has  reeeived  orders  to  act  strictly  <jn  the  defen- 


Bive.  In  such  a  contingency,  the  responpiltility  for  conse- 
quences would  riglitfully  rest  upon  the  heads  of  the  assail- 
ants." This  being  the  condition  of  the  parties,  on  Saturday, 
8th  December,  four  of  the  representatives  from  South 
Carolina  called  upon  me  and  requested  an  interview.  We 
had  an  earnest  conversation  on  the  subject  of  these  forts, 
and  the  best  means  of  preventing  a  collision  between  the 
parties  for  the  puq^ose  of  sparing  the  effusion  of  blood.  I 
suggested,  for  prudential  reasons,  that  it  would  be  best  to 
put  in  wi'itiug  what  they  said  to  me  verbally.  They  did  so 
accordingly,  and  on  Monday  morning,  the  10th  instant, 
three  of  them  presented  to  me  a  paper  signed  by  all  the 
representatives  from  South  Carolina,  with  a  single  excep- 
tion, of  which  the  following  is  a  cop}^: 

To  His  Excellency  James  Buchanan, 

President  of  the  United  States  : 

In  compliance  with  our  statement  to  you  yesterday,  we 
now  express  to  you  our  strong  convictions  that  neither 
the  constituted  authorities,  nor  any  body  of  the  people  of 
the  State  of  South  Carolina,  will  either  attack  or  molest 
the  United  States  Forts,  in  the  harbor  of  Charleston,  pre- 
viously to  the  action  of  the  Convention,  and  we  hope 
and  believe,  not  until  an  ofter  has  been  made,  through 
an  accredited  representative,  to  negotiate  for  an  amicable 
arrangement  of  all  matters  between  the  Stat«  and  the 
Federal  Government,  provided  that  no  reinforcements 
shall  be  sent  into  those  forts,  and  their  relative  military 
status  shall  remain  as  at  present. 

JNO.  McQUE?:N, 
WM.  rOKCHHK  MILES, 
M.  L.  BOXIIAM, 
W.  W.  BOYCP; 
LAWRENCE  M.  KEITT. 
Washington,  Utli  Dec,  1860. 

And  here  I  must,  in  justice  to  myself,  remark,  that  at 
the  time  the  paper  was  presented  to  me,  1  objected  to  the 


word  "provided,"  iu^  it  might  be  construed  into  an  agree- 
ment, on  my  part,  wlfu'li  I  never  would  make.  Tliey  said 
that  nothing  \va<<  farther  froni  tlioir  intention — tliey  did  not 
80  understand  it,  and  I  should  not  so  consider  it.  It  is 
evident  they  could  enter  into  no  reciprocal  agreement  with 
me  on  the  (<uhject.  They  did  not  profess  to  have  authority 
to  do  this,  and  were  acting  in  their  individual  character. 
I  conHi<lercd  it  as  nothing  more,  in  effect,  than  the  jtromisc 
of  highly  honorable  gentlciaen  to  exert  their  intiuenee  for 
the  puqiose  expressed.  The  event  lias  proven  that  they 
have  faithfully  kept  this  promise,  although  I  have  never 
since  received  a  line  from  any  one  of  them,  or  from  any 
member  of  the  Convention,  on  the  subject.  It  is  well 
known  that  it  was  my  determination,  and  this  I  freely  ex- 
pressed, not  to  reinforce  the  forts  in  the  harbor,  and  thus 
produce  a  collision,  until  they  had  been  actually  attacked. 
or  until  I  had  certain  evidence  that  they  were  about  to  be 
attacked.  This  paper  I  received  most  cordially,  and  I'on- 
sidcvcd  it  as  a  hai)py  omen  that  peace  might  still  be  pre- 
Bcrved,  and  that  time  might  thus  be  gained  for  reflection. 
This  is  the  whole  foundation  for  the  alleged  i>ledge. 

liut  I  acted  in  the  same  manner  I  would  have  done  hud 
I  entered  into  a  positive  and  formal  agreement  with  parties 
capable  of  contracting,  although  such  an  agreement  woidd 
have  been,  on  myjiart,  from  the  nature  of  my  ofHcial  duties, 
impossible. 

The  world  knows  that  I  have  never  sent  any  reinforce- 
ments to  tlje  forts  in  Charleston  harbor,  and  I  have  cer- 
tainly never  authorized  any  change  to  be  made  "  in  their 
relative  military  status." 

Hearing  upon  this  subject,  I  refer  you  to  an  oider  issued 
by  the  Secretary  of  War,  on  the  11th  inst.,  to^Iajor  Ander- 
son, but  not  brought  to  my  notice  until  the  21st  instant. 
It  is  as  follows : 

"  Memorandum  of  verbal  iii.structions  to  Major  Anderson,  \st 
Artillery^  Commamlhif)  Fori  Moultrie,  S.  C. 

You  are  aware  of  the  great  anxiety  of  the  Secretary  of 


War  that  a  collision  of  the  troops  with  the  people  of  this 
State  shall  be  avoided,  and  of  his  studied  determination  to 
pursue  a  course  with  reference  to  the  military  force  and 
forts  in  this  harbor,  ■which  shall  guard  against  such  a  col- 
lision. He  has,  therefore,  carefully  abstained  from  increas- 
ing the  force  at  this  point,  or  taking  any  measures  which 
might  add  to  the  present  excited  state  of  the  public  mind, 
or  which  would  throw  any  doubt  on  the  coniidence  he  feels 
that  South  Carolina  Avill  not  attem])t  by  violence  to  obtain 
[•osscssion  of  the  public  works,  or  interfere  with  their  occu- 
pancy. But  as  tlie  counsel  and  acts  of  rash  and  impulsive 
persons  may  possibly  disappoint  these  expectations  of  the 
Government,  he  deems  it  ^troper  that  you  should  be  pre- 
])ared  with  instnictions  to  meet  so  unhappy  a  contingency. 
He  has,  therefore,  directed  me,  verbally,  to  give  you  such 
instructions. 

You  are  carefully  to  avoid  every  act  which  would  need- 
lessly tend  to  provoke  aggression  ;  and,  for  that  reason,  you 
are  not,  without  evident  and  imminent  necessity,  to  take 
up  any  position  which  could  be  construed  into  the  assump- 
tion of  a  hostile  attitude  ;  but  you  are  to  hold  possession  of 
the  forts  in  this  harl>or,  and,  if  attacked,  you  are  to  defend 
yourself  to  the  last  extremity.  The  smallness  of  your  force 
will  not  permit  you,  perhajts,  to  occupy  more  than  one 
of  the  three  forts;  but  an  attack  on,  or  attempt  to  take 
possession  of  either  of  them,  will  be  regarded  as  an  act  of 
hostility,  and  you  may  then  put  your  command  into  either 
of  them  which  you  may  deem  most  proper,  to  increase  its 
])ower  of  resistance.  You  are  also  authorized  to  take  simi- 
lar defensive  steps  whenever  you  have  tangible  evidence  of 
a  design  to  proceed  to  a  hostile  act. 

1).  r.  IMJTLYAl,  Assif^tani  Adjutani  General. 
Fort  Moultrtk,  S.  C,  Dec.  11,  1860." 

This  is  in  contorniity  to  my  instructions  to  Major  Buell. 
JOHN  B^'LOYD,  .Secretory  of  War. 


10 

These  were  the  last  iiistructions  traiiPmitted  to  Major 
Andereiin  licfore  his  removal  to  Fort  Sumter,  with  a  single 
«x<<itli«»n  ill  n'^Mi'd  to  a  i»articular  which  does  not.  in  any 
dcp-co,  aliV'ct  the  |»iv8('iit  question.  Uiulor  those  oirciun- 
Ktanecs,  it  is  rkyir  that  Major  Anderson  acted  iii».)n  his  own 
respoiisiljilitv.  an<l  witht)Ut  authority,  unless,  indeed,  he  had 
"taiitfihie  evidence  of  a  design  to  proceed  to  a  hostile  act," 
on  the  jiart  of  the  authorities  of  South  Carolina,  which  has 
not  yet  heen  alleged.  Still,  he  is  a  brave  and  honorable 
officer;  and  justice  requires  that  he  should  not  be  con- 
demned without  a  fair  hearing. 

lie  this  a»  it  may,  when  I  learned  that  Major  Anderson 
had  left  F'ort  Moultrie,  and  proceeded  to  Fort  Sumter,  my 
tirst  pronq)tings  were  to  command  him  to  return  to  his 
former  position,  and  there  to  await  the  contingencies  pre- 
sented in  his  instructions.  This  could  only  have  l)een  done, 
with  any  degree  of  safety  to  the  command,  by  the  concur- 
rence of  the  South  Carolina  authorities.  IJut,  before  any 
steps  could  possibly  have  been  taken  in  this  direction,  we 
received  inl\)rma1i(tn,  dated  on  the  28th  instant,  that  "the 
Falmetto  flag  Hoated  out  to  the  breeze  at  Castle  Pinckney, 
and  a  large  military  force  went  over  last  night  (the  27th)  to 
Fort  Moultrie.'"  Thus  the  authorities  of  South  Carolina, 
without  waiting  or  asking  for  any  explanation,  and  dt)ubt- 
less  believing,  as  you  have  expressed  it,  that  the  officer  had 
acted  not  only  without,  but  against  my  orders,  on  the  very 
next  day  after  the  night  when  the  removal  was  made, 
seized,  by  a  military  force,  two  of  the  three  fedentl  forts  in 
the  harbor  of  C-harleston,  and  have  covered  them  under 
their  own  Hag,  instead  of  that  of  the  United  States.  At 
this  gloomy  i»eriod  of  our  history,  startling  events  succeed 
each  other  rapidly.  On  the  very  day  (the  27th  instant)  that 
possession  of  these  two  forts  was  taken,  the  Palmetto  ilag 
was  raised  over  the  fedei-al  Custom  House  and  Post  Office 
in  Charleston  ;  and.  on  the  same  day,  every  officer  of  the 
Customs — Collector,  Xaval  ()fli(;ers.  Surveyor  and  Apprais- 
ers— resigned  their  odices.  And  this,  although  it  was  well 
known,  from  the  language  ot^iy  message,  that,  as  an  execu- 
tive officer,  I  felt  myself  bound  to  collect  the  revenue  at  the 


11' 

port  of  Cliarlcston  under  tlic  existing  laws.  In  tlie  liarlx^r 
of  Charleston,  we  now  find  three  forts  confronting  each 
other,  over  all  of  whicli  the  federal  flag  floated  only  four 
daj's  ago  ;  but  now,  over  two  of  them,  this  flag  has  been 
supplanted,  and  the  Palmetto  flag  has  been  substituted  in  its 
stead.  It  is,  under  all  these  circumstances,  tliat  I  am  urged 
immediately  to  withdraw  the  troops  from  the  harbor  of 
Charleston,  and  am  informed  that  witliout  this,  negotiation 
is  impossible.  This  T  cannot  do;  this  I  will  not  do.  Such 
an  idea  was  never  thought  of  by  me  in  an\'  possible  con- 
tingency. No  allusion  t<>  it  had  ever  been  made  in  any 
communication  between  myself  and  any  human  being. 
But  the  inference  is,  that  I  am  bound  to  witlidraw  the  troops 
from  the  only  fort  remaining  in  the  possession  of  the  United 
States  in  the  harbor  of  Charleston,  because  the  officer  then 
in  command  of  all  the  foiis  thought  proper,  without  instruc- 
tions, to  change  his  position  from  one  of  them  to  another. 
I  cannot  admit  the  justice  of  any  such  inference. 

At  tliis  point  of  writing,  I  have  received  information,  by 
telegram,  from  Ca[»tain  Humphreys,  in  command  of  the 
Arsenal  at  Charleston,  "that  it  has  to-day  (Sunday,  the 
80th)  lieen  taken  l>y  force  of  arms."  It  is  estimated  that 
the  munitions  of  war  l)elonging  to  the  United  States  in  thi-^ 
Arsenal  are  worth  half  a  million  of  dollars. 

Comment  is  needless.  After  this  information,  I  have 
only  to  add,  that,  whilst  it  is  nn-  duty  to  defend  Fort 
Sumter,  as  a  portion  of  the  public  jiroperty  of  the  United 
States  against  hostile  attacks  from  whatever  quarter  they 
may  come,  by  such  means  as  I  may  possess  for  this  pur- 
pose, I  do  not  [KTceive  how  such  a  defence  can  be  con- 
strued into  a  menace  against  the  City  of  Charleston. 

With  great  personal  regard,  I  remain 

Yours,  very  respectfully, 

JAMES  BUCHANAN. 

To  Jlonorohff 

KoBERT  W.  Barnwell, 
James  H.  Adams, 
James  L.  Orr. 


12 


[bKPLY   of   THK   COMMIS8IOXKU8   TO    TIIK    mtUilDKXT.] 


\\'ASIIINiiT«tN,    D.    C\, 

January  1st,  1861. 

Sir:  Wo  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of 
vour  letter  of  the  80th  Doceiiiber,  in  ro\\\y  to  a  note  ad- 
dressed by  us  to  you  on  the  2^th  of  the  srinif  month,  as 
Commissioners  from  South  Carolina. 

In  reference  to  the  declaration  with  whicli  your  reply 
commences,  that  "your  position  as  President  of  the  United 
States  was  clearly  defined  in  the  Messas^o  to  Cons^ress  of 
tlie  3d  instant,"  that  you  possess  "no  power  to  change  the 
relations  heretofore  existinir"  between  South  Carolina  and 
the  Tnited  States,  "  much  less  to  acknowledge  the  inde- 
pendence of  that  State;"  and  that,  consequently,  you  could 
meet  us  only  as  private  gentlemen  of  the  highest  character, 
with  an  entire  willingness  to  communicate  to  Congress 
any  jti'oposition  we  might  have  to  make,  we  deem  it  only 
necessary  to  say,  that  the  State  of  South  Carolina  having, 
in  the  exercise  of  that  great  right  of  self-government  which 
underlies  all  our  political  organizations,  declared  herself 
sovereign  and  inde|iendent,  we,  as  her  representatives,  felt 
no  special  solicitude  as  to  the  character  in  which  you 
might  recognize  us.  Satisfied  that  the  State  had  simply 
exercised  her  unquestionable  right,  we  were  i)repared.  in 
order  to  reach  substantial  good,  to  waive  the  formal  con- 
siderations which  your  const  it  utiomil  scrui>les  might  have 
prevented  you  from  extciiding.  We  came  here,  llicicfore, 
expi'cting  to  be  received  as  you  did  rcci'ive  us,  and  per- 
fectly content  with  that  entire  willingness  of  which  yoti 
assured  us,  to  submit  any  iiroposition  to  Congress  which 
we  might  have  to  make  ujton  the  subject  of  the  independ- 
ence of  the  State.  That  willingness  was  ample  recognition 
of  the  condition  of  public  afi'airs  which  rendered  our  pros- 


13 

dice  necessary.  In  this  position,  however,  it  is  our  duty, 
huth  to  the  State  wliich  we  represent  and  to  ourselves,  to 
correct  several  important  misconceptions  of  our  letter  into 
which  you  have  fallen. 

You  say,  ''It  was  my  earnest  desire  that  such  a  diisposi- 
tion  might  he  made  of  \hv  w]u»le  suhject  hy  Congress,  who 
alone  possesses  the  poAvcr  to  prevent  the  inauguration  of  a 
civil  war  hetween  the  parties  in  regard  to  the  possession 
of  the  federal  forts  in  the  harbor  of  Charleston;  and  I, 
therefore,  deeply  regret  that,  in  your  opinion,  'the  events 
of  the  last  twenty-four  hours  render  this  impossible,' "  Wo 
expressed  no  such  opinion,  and  the  language  which  you 
quote  as  ours,  is  altered  in  its  sense  hy  the  omission  of  a 
most  important  part  of  the  sentence.  What  we  did  say 
was:  "But  tlie  events  of  the  last  twenty-four  hours  render 
such  an  a5.SMra?ice  impossible."  Place  tliat  "assurance"  as 
contained  in  our  letter,  in  the  sentence,  and  we  arc  prepared 
to  repeat  it. 

Again,  professing  to  quote  our  language,  you  say  : — 
"Thus  the  authorities  of  South  Carolina,  without  waiting 
or  asking  for  anj*  explanation,  and,  doubtless,  believing,  as 
you  have  expressed  it,  that  the  officer  had  acted  not  only 
without,  but  against  my  orders,"  &c.  AVe  expressed  no 
such  opinion  in  reference  to  the  belief  of  the  people  of 
South  Carolina.  The  language  which  you  have  quoted, 
was  applied  solel\-  and  entirely  to  our  assuraufc,  obtained 
here,  and  based,  as  you  well  know,  upon  your  own  declara- 
tion— a  declaration  which,  at  that  time,  it  was  impossible 
for  the  authorities  of  South  Carolina  to  have  known.  But, 
without  following  this  letter  into  all  its  details,  we  propose 
only  to  meet  the  chief  points  of  the  argument. 

Some  weeks  ago,  tlie  State  of  South  Carolina  declared 
her  intention,  in  the  existing  condition  of  [tublic  affairs,  to 
secede  from  the  United  Stiites.  vShe  called  a  Convention 
of  her  people,  to  put  her  declaration  in  force.  The  Con- 
vention met,  and  jiassed  the  Ordinance  of  Secession.  All 
this  you  anticipated,  and  your  course  of  action  was  thor- 
oughly considered.     In  your  annual  mcsnafc.  y«tu  declared 


14 

you  had  no  rip:lit.  ami  would  not  attempt,  to  eocive  a  seced- 
inj:  Stato,  l»ut  that  yon  wi-re  hound  hy  your  constitutional 
oath,  and  would  dofc-nd  the  jiroporty  of  the  I'nit*  d  States 
within  the  l>ordcrrt  of  J^outh  Carolina,  if  an  attempt  was 
made  to  take  it  hy  foree.  Socinp:  very  early  that  this  (jues- 
tion  of  pixjjierty  was  a  difficult  and  delicate  one,  you  nunii- 
feHtod  a  desire  to  settle  it  without  collision*  You  did  not 
reinfort'C  the  pirrisons  in  the  harbor  of  Charleston.  You 
removed  a  distiniruished  and  veteran  officer  from  the  com- 
mand of  Fort  Moultiie.  l>ccause  he  attempted  to  increase 
hii*  Pnpply  of  ammunition,  ^'ou  refused  to  send  additional 
tro<»ps  to  the  same  pirrison  when  ajiplied  for  by  the  officer 
appointed  to  succeed  him.  You  accepted  the  resii^nation 
of  the  oldest  and* most  eminent  lueinher  of  your  Cabinet, 
rather  tlian  allow  these  garrisons  to  he  streiiiifthcned.  You 
compelled  an  officer  stationed  at  Fort  Sumter,  to  return 
immediatel}'  to  the  Arsenal,  forty  muskets  which  he  had 
taken  t<t  arm  his  men.  You  ex[>ressed  not  to  one,  but  to 
many,  of  the  most  distiniruished  of  our  public  characters, 
whose  testimony  will  be  placed  upon  the  record,  whenever 
it  is  necessary,  your  anxiety  for  a  peaceful  termination  of 
this  controvei-sy,  and  your  willinijness  n<»t  to  disturb  the 
military  status  of  the  forts,  if  Commissioners  should  bo 
sent  to  the  (fovernmen4,  whose  coniiiiiini<ati<ins  you  ]»rom- 
ised  to  submit  to  Coni^ress.  You  recei\i'd  and  acti'd  on 
assurances  from  the  hii^hest  official  authorities  of  South 
Carolimi,  that  no  attempt  would  be  made  to  disturb  your 
pOKsessi(»n  of  the  forts  an<l  ]iroperty  of  the  United  States, 
if  you  would  not  disturb  their  existing  conditi«)n  until 
Commissioners  had  been  sent,  and  the  attempt  to  nei,^otiate 
had  failed.  Vou  took  from  the  mendjers  of  tlu*  House  of 
Kepn'seiitatives,  a  writti'u  memorandum  that  no  such 
attempt  should  be  made,  '[Hdvided  that  no  reinforcements 
shall  be  sent  into  those  forts,  and  their  relative  military 
HtatUH  shall  remain  as  at  present."  And,  althoji<j:b  you 
attach  no  force  to  tlio  ac«-cptance  of  such  a  jiapi-r,  although 
you  "considend  it  as  nothinc^  more  in  etl'ect  than  the 
promise  of  highly  honorable  gentlemen,'  as  an  obligation 


15 

on  one  side  without  corrcppondinc:  oblij^ation  on  the  other, 
it  must  be  remembered  (if  we  are  rightly  informed)  that 
you  were  pledged,  if  you  ever  did  send  rcinforeements,  to 
return  it  to  those  from  whom  you  had  received  it  before 
you  executed  your  resolution.  You  sent  orders  to  your 
officers,  commjinding  them  strictly  to  follow  a  line  of  con- 
duct in  conformity  with  such  an  understanding. 

Beside  all  this,  you  had  received  formal  and  official 
notice  from  the  Governor  of  Ponth  Carolina,  that  we  had 
been  appointed  Commissioners,  and  were  on  our  way  to 
AVnshington.  You  knew  the  implied  condition  under 
which  we  camo;  our  arrival  was  notiiied  to  yon,  and  an 
liour  appointed  for  an  interview.  We  arrived  in  Washing- 
ton on  Wednesday',  at  three  o'clor-k,  and  y<^]  appointed  an 
interview  with  us  at  one  the  next  day.  Early  on  that  da}-, 
Thursday,  the  news  was  received  here  of  the  movement  of 
Major  Anderson.  That  news  was  communicated  to  you 
immediately,  and  you  ]>ostponed  our  meeting  until  half- 
past  two  o'clock,  on  Friday,  in  order  that  you  might  con- 
sult your  Cabinet.  On  Friday  we  saw  you.  and  we  called 
upon  you  thon  to  redeem  your  pledge,  ^'ou  could  not 
deny  it.  With  the  facts  we  have  stated,  and  in  the  face  of 
the  crowning  and  conclusive  fact,  that  your  Secretary  of 
AVarhad  resigned  his  seat  in  the  Cabinet,  upon  the  publicly 
avowed  ground  that  the  action  of  Major  Anderson  had 
violated  the  pledged  faith  of  the  Government,  and  that  un- 
less the  pledge  was  instantly  redeemed,  he  was  dishonored; 
denial  was  impossible;  you  did  not  deny  it.  You  do  not 
deny  it  now,  but  you  seek  to  escape  from  its  obligation  on 
two  grounds:  1st,  That  irr  terminated  all  negotiation  by 
demanding,  as  a  jirt'liniinarv.  the  withdrawal  of  the  United 
States  trodps  from  the  harbor  of  Charlestrtn ;  and  2d,  Tliat 
the  authorities  of  South  Carolina,  instead  of  asking  expla- 
nation, and  giving  you  the  oppfirtunity  to  virdieate  your- 
s«df,  took  possession  of  other  ]^r<»]'eri\-  <^«f  tb<'  Fi.it.-d  States, 
\Kq  will  examine  both. 

In  the  first  place,  we  deny  jKWtivcly,  that  we  have  ever, 
in  any  way,  made  any  such  demand.  Our  lettor  is  in  your 
posse.s9ion ;  it  will  stand  by  this  on  the  record.     In  it,  wc 


IG 

iufunn  you  of  the  objccte  of  our  mission.     Wc  say  that  it 
would  l);i .     '  our  dutv  to  have  assured  you  of  our  read- 

iiu  >s  to  .  f  negotiations  willi  the  most  earnest  and 

aiixiuuK  desire  to  settle  all  questions  between  us  amiiahly, 
and  t<»  our  mutual  advantage,  hut  that  events  had  rondc  red 
thai  UASuraneo  imitossihle.  We  statrd  the  events,  and  we 
8aid  that,  until  some  satisfactory  exjdanation  of  these 
events  was  given  us,  we  eouhl  not  proceed,  and  then,  hav- 
ing made  this  request  for  explanation,  we  added,  "and,  in 
conclusion,  we  would  urge  upon  you  the  immediate  with- 
drawal of  the  troops  from  the  harbor  of  Charleston.  Under 
present  circumstances  they  are  a  standing  menace,  which 
renders  negotiation  injpossible,"  &.c.  "Under  jiresent  cir- 
cumstances!"  tWhat  circumstances?  Why,  clearly,  the 
occupati»)n  of  Fort  Sumter,  and  the  dismantling  of  Fort 
Moultrie  by  Major  Anderson,  in  the  face  of  your  jdedges, 
and  without  explanation  or  practical  disavowal.  And  there 
is  nothing  in  the  letter,  whieli  would  or  C(»uld  have  }MVvent- 
ed  you  from  declining  to  withdraw  the  troops,  and  oifering 
the  restoration  of  the  stiitus  to  which  you  were  pledged,  if 
such  had  been  your  desire.  It  would  have  l)een  wiser  and 
better,  in  our  opinion,  to  have  withdrawn  the  troojjs,  and 
this  opinion  we  urged  upon  you,  but  we  iTcmanded  nothing 
but  such  an  explanation  of  the  events  of  the  last  twenty- 
four  hours  as  would  restore  our  contidence  in  the  spirit 
with  which  the  negotiation  should  be  conducted.  In  rela^ 
tii>n  to  this  withdrawal  of  the  troops  from  the  harbor,  we 
are  compelled,  however,  tu  notice  oue  passage  of  your  let- 
ter. Referring  to  it,  you  say  :  "This  1  cannot  do.  This  1 
will  not  di».  Such  an  idea  was  never  thought  of  by  nie  in 
any  possiMe  contingency.  .\o  allMsi(»n  to  it  had  ever  been 
nja<le  in  any  eoiuMiuniiation  llet^vl.'en  myself  and  any 
human  being. 

In  reply  to  this  statement,  we  are  conjpelled  to  say,  that 
your  conversation  with  us  left  upon  our  minds  the  distinct 
impression  that  you  did  seriously  contemplate  the  with- 
drawal of  the  troops  from  Charleston  harbor.  And,  in 
stipj)oit  t)f  this  iinjjression,  we  would  add  that  we  liave  the 
positive  assurance  of  gentlemen   of  the    highest   possible 


17 

public  rcpiitntion,  and  the  most  unsullied  integrity — men 
whose  name  and  fame,  secured  by  long  service  and  patriotic 
achievement,  place  their  testimony  beyond  cavil — that  such 
suggestions  had  been  made  to,  and  urged  upon  you  by 
them,  and  had  formed  the  subject  of  more  tban  one  earn- 
est discussion  with  you.  And  it  was  this  knowledge  that 
induced  us  to  urge  upon  you  a  policy  which  had  to  recom- 
mend it,  its  own  wisdom  and  the  weight  of  such  authority. 
As  to  the  second  point,  that  the  autlK)ritics  of  South  Caro- 
lina, instead  of  asking  explanations,  and  giving  you  the 
opportunity  to  vindicate  yourself,  took  possession  of  other 
property  of  the  United  States,  we  would  observe,  1st.  That, 
even  if  this  were  so,  it  does  not  avail  you  for  defence,  for 
the  opportunity  for  decision  was  afforded  you  before  these 
facts  occurred.  AVe  arrived  in  Washington  on  "Wednesday. 
The  news  from  Major  Anderson  reached  here  early  on 
Thursday,  and  was  immediately  communicated  to  you.  All 
that  day.  men  of  the  highest  consideration — men  who  had 
striven  successfully  to  lift  you  to  your  great  office — who 
had  been  your  tried  and  true  friends  througli  the  troubles 
of  your  administration — sought  you.  and  entreated  you  to 
act — to  act  at  once.  They  told  you  that  every  hour  com- 
plicated 3-our  jtosition.  They  only  asked  yon  to  give  the 
assurance  that,  if  tlie  facts  were  so — that,  if  the  command- 
er had  acted  without,  and  against  your  orders,  and  in  vio- 
lation of  your  pledges,  that  you  would  restore  the  status 
you  had  pledged  your  honor  to  maintain. 

You  refused  to  decide.  Youf  Secretary  at  AVar — your 
immediate  and  proper  adviser  in  this  whole  matter — waited 
anxiously  for  your  decision,  until  he  felt  that  delay  was 
becoming  dishonor.  More  than  twelve  hours  jtassed,  and 
two  Cabinet  meetings  had  adjourned  before  you  knew  what 
the  authorities  of  South  Carolina  had  done,  and  your 
prompt  decision  at  any  moment  of  that  time,  woidd  have 
avoided  the  subsequent  complications.  But  if  you  had 
known  the  acts  of  the  authoritios  of  South  Carolina,  should 
that  have  ])revented  your  keeping  your  faith  ?  What  was 
the  condition  of  things?  For  the  last  sixty  days,  you  have 
had  in  Charleston  harbor,  not  force  enough  to  hold  the 
2 


18 

forte  against  an  equal  enemy.  Two  of  them  were  empty ; 
one  of  thofse  two,  the  most  important  in  the  harbor.  It 
could  have  been  taken  at  any  time.  You  ought  to  know 
better  than  any  man,  that  it  would  have  been  taken,  but 
for  the*  effort.«<  of  those  who  put  their  trust  in  your  lionor. 
Believinc:  that  they  were  threatened  by  Fort  Sumter  espe- 
cially, the  people  were,  with  difficulty,  restrained  from 
securinar,  without  blood,  the  possession  of  this  imjtortant 
fortress.  Alter  many  and  reiterated  assurances  given  on 
your  behalf,  which  we  cannot  believe  unauthorized,  they 
determined  to  forbear,  and  in  good  faith  sent  on  their  Com- 
missioners to  negotiate  with  you.  They  meant  you  no 
harm  ;  wished  you  no  ill.  They  thought  of  you  kindly, 
believed  you  true,  and  were  willing,  as  far  as  was  consistent 
with  duty,  to.  spare  you  unnecessary  and  hostile  collision. 
Scarcely  had  their  Coninus.sioners  left,  than  Major  Ander- 
son waged  war.  Xo  other  words  will  describe  his  action. 
It  was  not  a  peaceful  cliange  from  one  fort  to  another;  it 
was  a  hostile  act  in  the  highest  sense — one  only  justitied  in 
the  presence  of  a  superior  enemy,  and  in  imminent  peril. 
Ho  abandoned  his  position,  spiked  his  guns,  burned  his  gun- 
carriages,  made  preparations  for  the  destruction  of  his  post, 
and  withdrew  under  cover  of  the  night  to  a  safer  position. 
This  was  war.  No  man  could  have  belteved  (without  your 
assurance)  that  any  officer  could  have  taken  such  a  step, 
"not  only  without  orders,  but  against  orders.'  What  the 
State  did,  was  in  simple  self-defence ;  for  this  act,  with  all 
its  attending  eireumstai»-es,  was  as  mueh  war  as  firing  a 
volley;  and  war  being  tlnis  begun,  until  those  eonuneneing 
it  explained  their  action,  and  disavowed  their  intention, 
there  was  no  room  for  delay  ;  and,  even  at  this  moment, 
while  we  are  writing,  it  is  more  than  probable,  from  the 
lenor  of  your  letter,  that  reinforcements  are  hurrying  on  to 
the  conflict,  so  that  when  the  first  gun  shall  be  tired,  there 
will  have  been,  on  your  part,  one  continuous  consistent 
series  of  actions  commeneing  in  a  demonstration  essentially 
warlike,  supported  by  regular  reinforcement,  and  terminat- 
ing in  defeat  or  victory.  And  all  this  without  the  slight- 
est provocation  ;  for,   among  the  many  things  which  you 


19 

have  said,  there  is  one  thing  you  cannot  say — you  have 
waited  anxiously  for  news  from  the  scat  of  war,  in  hopes 
that  delay  would  furnish  some  excuse  for  this  precipitation. 
But  this  "  tangible  evidence  of  a  design  to  proceed  to  a 
hostile  act,  on  the  part  of  the  authorities  of  South  Caroli- 
na," (which  is  the  only  justification  of  Major  Anderson,) 
you  are  forced  to  admit  "has  not yf<  been  alleged."  But 
you  have  decided.  You  have  resolved  to  hold  by  force 
what  you  have  obtained  through  our  misplaced  confidence, 
and  by  refusing  to  disavow  the  action  of  Major  Anderson, 
have  converted  his  violation  of  orders  into  a  legitimate  act 
of  your  Executive  authority.  Be  the  issue  what  it  may,  of 
this  we  are  assured,  that,  if  Fort  Moultrie  has  been  recorded 
in  history  as  a  memorial  of  Carolina  gallantry,  Fort  Sum- 
ter will  live  upon  the  succeeding  page  as  an  imperishable 
testimony  of  Carolina  faith. 

By  your  course,  you  have  probably  rendered  civil  war 
inevitable.  Be  it  so.  If  you  choose  to  force  this  issue 
upon  us,  the  State  of  South  Carolina  Avill  accept  it,  and, 
relying  upon  Him  who  is  the  God  of  justice  as  well  as  the 
God  of  hosts,  will  endeavor  to  perform  the  great  duty 
which  lies  before  her,  hopefully,  bravely  and  thoroughly. 

Our  mission  being  one  for  negotiation  and  peace,  and 
your  note  leaving#is  without  hope  of  a  withdrawal  of  the 
troops  from  Fort  Sumter,  or  of  the  restoration  of  the  siatus 
quo  existing  at  the  time  of  our  arrival,  and  intimating,  as 
we  think,  your  determination  to  reinforce  the  garrison  in 
the  harbor  of  Charleston,  we  respectfully  inform  you  that 
we  propose  returning  to  Charleston  on  to-morrow  after- 
noon. 

We  have  the  honor  to  be,  sir,  very  respectfully, 
Your  obedient  servants, 

R.  w.  BARX^^^:LL, 

J.  TI.  ADAMS. 

JAMES  L.  OKK. 

Commissioners. 
To  his  Ercdlency,  the  Pre^^ikent 

of  ilu  United  States. 


20 


The  last  communication  is  endorsed  as  follows: 

Executive  Mansion, 

iih  o'clock,  Wednesday. 

This  iiajHT.  just  presented  to  the  President,  is  of  such  a 
character  that  he  declines  to  receive  it. 


STATEMENT 

Of  Messrs.  Miles  and  Keitt,  of  what  transpired 

between  the  president  and  the  soutii 

Carolina  Delegation. 


In  compliance  with  the  request  of  the  Convention,  we 
beg  leave  to  make  the  following  statement: 

On  Saturday,  the  8th  of  December,  several  of  the  South 
Carolina  delegation,  including  ourselves,  waited  upon  the 
President.  At  this  time,  there  was  a  growing  belief  that 
reinforcements  were  on  the  eve  of  being  sent  to  the  forts  in 
Charleston  harbor.  It  was  known  that  the  suliject  was  fre- 
quently and  earnestly  discussed  in  the  Cal)inet.  It  was 
rumored  that  General  Cass  and  Mr.  Holt  were  urgent  that 
reinforcements  should  be  sent.  Upon  our  being  announced, 
the  President,  who  Avas  then  in  Cabinet  Council,  came  out 
to  U8  in  tlie  ante-room.  We  at  once  entered  into  a  conver- 
sation upon  tlie  topic,  which  was  so  closely  occupying  his 
thoughts  as  well  a«  ours.  The  President  seemed  much 
disturbed  and  movcrl.  lie  told  us  that  he  had  had  a  painful 
intei*view  with  the  wife  of  Major  Anderson,  who  had  come 
on  from  Now  York  to  see  him.  She  had  manifi'sted  great 
anxiety  and  distress  at  the  situation  of  hor  husband,  whom 
she  seemed  to  consider  in  momentary  danger  of  an  attack 
from  an  ex<'itod  and  lawless  mob.  The  ['resident  ]»rofessed 
to  feel  a  deep  res]»onsibility  resting  upon  him  to  protect  the 
lives  of  Major  Audersou  and  his  command.     We  told  liim 


22 

that  the  news  that  reinforcements  were  on  their  way  to 
Charleston,  would  be  the  surest  means  of  provoking  what 
Mrs.  Anderson  apprehended,  and  what  he  so  much  depre- 
cated. We  said,  further,  that  we  did  not  believe  that  Major 
Anderson  was  in  any  danger  of  such  an  attack;  that  the 
general  sentiment  of  the  State  was  against  any  such  pro- 
ceeding. That,  prior  to  the  action  of  the  State  Convention, 
then  only  ten  days  off,  we  felt  satisfied  that  tliere  would  be 
no  attempt  to  molest  the  forts  in  any  way.  That,  after  the 
Convention  met, — while  we  could  not  possildy  undertake  to 
say  what  that  body  would  see  fit  to  do, — we  yet  hoped  and 
believed  that  nothing  would  be  done  until  we  had  first 
endeavored,  by  duly  accredited  Commissioners,  to  nego- 
tiate for  a  peaceful  settlement  of  all  matters,  including  the 
delivery  of  the  forts,  between  South  Carolina  and  the  Fed- 
eral Government.  At  the  same  time,  we  again  reiterated 
our  solemn  belief  that  any  change  in  the  then  existing  con- 
dition of  things  in  Charleston  harbor,  would,  in  the  excited 
state  of  feeling  at  home,  inevitably  precipitate  a  collision. 
The  impression  made  upon  us  was,  that  the  President  was 
wavering,  and  had  iiot  decided  what  course  he  would  pur- 
sue, lie  said  he  was  glad  to  have  had  this  conversation 
with  us,  but  would  prefer  that  we  should  give  him  a  written 
memorandum  of  the  substance  of  what  we  had  said.  This 
we  did  on  Monday,  the  10th.     It  was  in  these  words : 

To  his  Excellency  James  Buchanan, 

President  of  the  United  States: 

In  compliance  with  our  statement  to  you  yesterday,  we 
now  express  to  you  our  strong  convictions  that  neither  the 
constituted  authorities,  nor  any  body  of  the  people  of  the 
State  of  South  Carolina,  will  either  attack  or  molest  the 
United  States  forts  in  the  liarbor  of  Charleston,  previously 
to  the  action  of  the  Convention,  and  we  hope  and  believe 
not  until  an  offer  has  been  made  through  an  accredited  re- 
presentative, to  negotiate  for  an  amicahle  arrangement  of 
all  matters  between  the  State  and  the  federal  Government, 


23 

provided  that  no  reiuforcements  shall  bo  sent  into  those 
forts,  and  their  relative  military  status  shall  remain  as  at 
present. 

JOHX  McQUEEX, 
WM.  PORCHER  MILES, 
M.  L.  BONHAM, 
W.  W.  BOYCE, 
LAWRENCE.  M.  KEITT. 

Wasiiingtox,  9th  December,  18G0. 


The  President  did  not  like  the  word  "provided,"  because 
it  looked  as  if  we  were  binding  him  while  avowing  that  we 
had  no  authorit\'  to  commit  the  Convention.  Wo  told  him 
that  we  did  not  so  understand  it.  We  were  expressing  our 
convictions  and  belief,  predicated  upon  the  maintenance  of 
a  certain  condition  of  things,  which  maintenance  was  abso- 
lutely and  entirely  in  his  power.  If  he  maintained  such 
condition,  then  we  believed  that  collision  would  be  avoided 
until  the  attempt  at  a  peaceable  negotiation  had  failed.  If 
he  did  not,  then  we  solemnly  assured  him  that  we  believed 
collision  must  inevitably,  and  at  once,  be  precijlitated.  He 
seemed  satisfied,  and  said  it  was  not  his  intention  to  send 
reinfin-cements,  or  make  any  change.  We  explained  to 
him  what  we  meant  by  the  words  "relative  military  status," 
as  applied  to  the  forts;  mentioned  the  diffcrenco  between 
Major  Anderson's  occupying  his  then  position  at  Fort 
Moultrie,  and  throwing  himself  into  Fort  Sumter.  We 
stated  that  the  latter  step  would  be  equivalent  to  reinforc- 
ing the  garrison,  and  would  just  as  certainly  as  the  sending 
of  fresh  troops,  leiwl  to  the  result  which  we  both  desired  to 
avoid.  When  we  rose  to  go,  the  President  said  in  substance, 
"After  all,  this  is  a  matter  of  honor  among  gentlemen.  I 
do  not  know  that  any  pajter  or  writing  is  necessary.  We 
understand  each  other."  Une  of  the  delegation,  just  before 
leaving  the  room,  remarked,  "Mr.  President,  you  have  de- 
termined to  let  things  remain  as  they  are,  and  not  to  send 
reinforcements;    but,  suppose  that  you  were   hereafter  to 


24 

chanfferourpolicv  for  any  reason,  what  then?  That  would 
put  us,  who  are  wlllinir  t^  use  our  personal  influence  to 
prevent  anv  attack  upon  the  forts  before  Commissioners  are 
sent  on  to  Wasluncton.  in  rather  an  embarrassing  position." 
"Then,"  said  tlie  President,  "I  would  lirst  return  you  this 
paper."  AVo  do  not  pretend  to  give  the  exact  words  on 
either  side,  but  we  are  sure  we  give  the  sense  of  both. 

The  above  is  a  full  and  exact  account  of  what  passed 
between  the  President  and  the  delegation.  The  President, 
in  his  letter  to  our  Commissioners,  tries  to  give  the  impres- 
sion that  our  "understanding"  or  "agreement"  was  not  a 
"  pledge."  AV^e  confess,  we  are  not  sufficiently  versed  in 
the  wiles  of  diplomacy  to  feel  the  force  of  this  "distinction 
without  a  difterence."  Xor  can  we  understand  how,  in  "a 
matter  of  honor  among  gentlemen,"  in  which  "  no  paper 
or  writing  is  necessary,"  the  very  party  who  was  willing  to 
put  it  on  that  high  footing  can  honorably  descend  to  mere 
verbal  criticism,  to  purge  himself  of  what  all  gentlemen 
and  men  of  iionour  must  consider  a  breach  of  faith.  The 
very  fact  that  wo  (the  representatives  from  South  Carolina) 
were  not  authorized  to  commit  or  "pledge"  the  State, 
were  not  treating  with  the  President  as  accredited  minis- 
ters with  full  powers,  but  as  gentlemen  assuming,  to  a 
certain  extent,  the  delic-atL'  task  of  undertaking  to  fore- 
shadow the  course  and  policy  of  the  State,  should  have 
made  the  President  the  more  ready  to  strengthen  our  hands 
to  bring  abf)ut  and  carry  out  that  course  and  poliey  which 
he  professed  to  have  as  mueh  at  heart  as  we  had.  "While 
we  wer(»  ni»r  authorized  to  s;iy  that  the  (\)nveinion  wt)uld 
not  order  ihe  o<-eiiiKition  of  llu-  foits  immediately  after 
secession,  and  prior  to  tlie  sending  on  of  Commissionei-s,  the 
President,  as  Commander-in-chief  of  the  Army  and  Xavy 
of  the  Pnited  StMies,  cMiild  most  positively  say,  that  so  lojig 
as  South  Carolina  al)stained  fi-om  attackinir  and  seizing 
the  forts,  lie  would  not  send  reinforcements  to  them,  or 
allow  their  relative  military  status  to  be  changed.  We 
were  acting  in  the  capacity  of  gentlemen  holding  certain 
prominent  jjositions,  and  anxious  to  exert  such  influence  as 


25 

we  might  possess  to  effect  a  peaceful  solution  of  pending 
political  difficulties,  and  prevent,  if  p()ssi])le,  the  horrors  of 
war.  The  Tresi<U'iit  was  acting  in  a  double  cajtacity;  not 
only  as  a  gcntleniiin,  whose  influence  in  carrying  out  his 
share  of  the  understanding,  or  agreement,  was  potential, 
but  as  the  head  of  the  army,  and,  therefore,  liaving  the  abso- 
lute control  of  the  whole  matter  of  reinforcing  or  transfer- 
ring the  garrison  at  Charleston.  But  we  have  dwelt  long 
enough  upon  this  point.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  considering 
the  President  as  bound  in  honor,  if  not  by  treaty  sti]>ula- 
tion,  not  to  make  any  change  in  the  fort«,  or  to  send  rein- 
forcements to  them,  uidesa  they  were  attacked,  we  of  the 
delegation  who  were  elected  to  the  Convention,  felt  equally 
bound  in  honor  to  do  everything  on  our  part  to  ]»revent 
any  ]>remature  collision.  This  Convention  can  bear  us 
witness  as  to  whether  or  not  we  endeavored  honorably  to 
carry  out  our  share  of  the  agreement. 

The  published  debates  at  the  very  commencement  of  the 
session,  contain  the  evidence  of  our  good  faith.  We  trusts 
ed  the  PresidtMit.  We  believed  his  wishes  concurred  with 
his  polic}',  and  that  both  were  directed  to  avoiding  any 
inauguration  of  hostilities.  We  were  confirmed  in  our 
confidence,  and  reassured  in  our  belief  by  a  significant 
event  which  t(tok  place  subsequent  to  our  interview.  lie 
alh)wed  his  premier  Cabinet  officer,  an  old  and  tried  friend^ 
to  resign,  rather  than  yield  to  his  solicitations  for  tlie  rein- 
forcement of  the  garrison  at  Charleston.  We  urged  this 
as  a  convincing  proof  of  bis  firmness  and  sincerity.  But 
how  have  avc  been  deceived  I  The  news  of  Major  An<ler- 
son's  coup  ju'oduced  a  sud<len  and  unexpected  change  in 
the  Presidents  jiolicy.  Wbilc  declaring  that  his  with- 
drawal from  P'oii  Moultrie  to  Fort  Sumter  was  "without 
orders,  and  contrary  to  (U'ders,"  he  yet  refused,  for  twelve 
hours,  to  t^dvc  any  action  in  the  matter.  For  twelve  hours, 
therefore,  without  any  excuse,  he  refused  to  redeem  his 
plighted  word.  No  subse«juent  acts  on  the  jiart  of  our 
State — no  after  reasons — can  wipe  away  the  stain  which  he 
suffered  to  rest  upon  his  "  honor  as  a  gentleman,"  while 
8 


26 

those  hours,  hit;  with  jMtrtt'MtKUS  events,  rolled  slowly  hy. 
His  SeereUirj'  of  War.  iiMpatient  <»t*  :i  <lelay,  every  moment 
of  which  he  felt  touelied  hi.s  owji  li(»n<ir,  resigned.  He  did 
80  KoU'ly  on  the  i^ronnd  tliat  the  faith  of  the  govern- 
ment— solenily  pledp'd — was  broken,  if  it  faiK-d  promptly 
to  undo  what  had  hern  done  contrary  to  its  wishes — against 
its  settled  pcdiey — and  in  violation  of  its  <listinet  agreement. 
The  Pri'hidcnt  accepted  his  resignation  without  comment. 
lie  <lid  not  attempt  to  flisahusi'  the  mind  of  his  Secretary  as 
to  what  was  the  Inie  position  of  tin-  ( Jovernment.  What  a 
Bpecta<-Ie  d<u's  the  Presidents  vacillating  and  disingiMiuous 
course  present!  He  allows  one  Secretary  t«)  resign  rather 
than  ahandon  a  policy  w  liicli  he  has  agreed  upon.  Scarcely 
have  a  few  slioi't  weeks  elapsed,  and  he  aci'e|)ts  the  resig- 
nation of  another,  rather  than  adhere  to  that  very  ])oliey. 
He  makes  an  agreement  with  gentlemen  which,  while  he 
atlmits  that  they  luive  faithfully  kept  it  on  their  part,  he 
himself  evades  an<l  rejiudiates.  And  this  lie  does  rather 
than  redress  a  wrong — I'orrect  an  error — what  he  himself 
considers  an  error — committed  l»y  a  subordinate,  without  his 
orders,  and  couti'ary  to  liis  wishes  I  ft  was  at  least  due  to 
Mr.  Floyd,  who,  as  one  (»f  liis  (^ahinet,  had  otHcially  and 
personally  stoo*!  l»y  his  ;nliuiiiisti-atioii  from  its  \ei-y  com- 
mencement— through  good  report, and  through  evil  report — 
to  have  exjilained  to  him  that  ]\v  was.  in  the  J'resident's  opin- 
ion, laboring  un<h'r  a  misapiirdieusion.  At  least,  to  liave 
•aid  to  yiim,  "you  are  mistakiii  about  this  matter — do  not 
leave  me  on  a  false  is.sue."  But  no;  ho  t'oldly,  ungra- 
ciously, yet  promptly,  receives  the  resignation  without  a 
syllable  of  remonstrance,  and  thus  tacitly,  but  unetpiivo- 
cally,  acci'pts  without  sbauie  the  issue  j)reseiited.  He  does 
not  deny  that  the  faith  (tf  bis  government  is  pledge<l,  hut 
he  deliberately  refuses  to  redeem  it. 

\VU.  I'ORCHKR  MILES. 
LAURENCE  M.   KEITT. 


( 


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